1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to ice makers, and more particularly, to a safety control for an ice maker used in domestic refrigerators and the like.
2. Description of Background Art
In one form of an ice maker, an ice mold and associated mechanism are mounted in the freezer compartment of a domestic refrigerator/freezer. One example of such an ice maker is illustrated in Linstromberg U.S. Pat. No. 3,276,225, which is owned by the assignee of the present invention. Such ice makers are provided with resistance heaters for heating the mold upon completion of the forming of the ice bodies therein so as to permit freeing of the ice bodies therefrom for dispensing automatically to a subjacent collecting bin. A thermostat in heat transfer association with the mold senses when the ice bodies are sufficiently frozen and thereafter initiates an ejection cycle wherein the mold heater is energized. After the ice bodies have been removed from the mold, the thermostat is reset as the mold heats up, at which time the mold heater is de-energized.
If the thermostat fails, leaving the mold heater energized for an extended period of time, the refrigerator/freezer could suffer extensive damage. Damage is particularly likely in a refrigerator/freezer utilizing a plastic liner or a smaller compressor which cannot remove heat at a fast rate.
Certain ice makers, such as described in Ploeger U.S. Pat. No. 2,717,500, utilize a high temperature limit switch in series with the mold heater. The limit switch is operable to shut off the heater when the mold reaches an undesirably high temperature. However, such a construction requires that two thermostat switches be provided with the ice maker, increasing the cost and complexity thereof.
The present invention overcomes the above problems of prior art ice makers in a novel and simple manner.